Making Tracks
by Joltz
Summary: Kim worries about college. Shego worries about the future. Somehow, they both reach the same conclusion. (KimShego slash)
1. Backwater

Chapter 1: Meatpuppets, "Backwater"  
  
---------------  
  
iAnd when I wake up in the morning  
  
To feel the day break on my face  
  
There's a buzz that's flowing through the ceiling  
  
With a knife to open up the sky's veins  
  
Some things will never change  
  
You just stand there looking backward half unconscious from the pain  
  
It may seem pre-arranged  
  
In the backwater, swirling, there is something that'll never change./i  
  
--------------  
  
"Ron, stop whimpering."  
  
Kim's request was met with a muffled whimper.  
  
The pair were currently dangling from the belly of a helicopter, having recently been pulled off a sinking aqua-lab Drakken decided to stock with several illegal (as well as stolen) mutant sea-monster type beasties. DNAmy was so furious at their theft that she had actually made a hit on the site, managing to land herself in prison for actually creating the things. Drakken was heading there too, having been knocked unconscious by one of Ron's foolish but incredibly well timed stumbles.  
  
"Chaos Theory." Wade had reminded her.  
  
Whatever it was, Ron really had it going for him.  
  
A shriek interrupted her musings.  
  
"Honestly, Ron!"  
  
"It was Rufus!"  
  
The naked mole rat squealed protest as Kim rolled her eyes and tried to ignore both of them.  
  
So, DNAmy and Drakken were both done until they managed to escape prison, which meant that they wouldn't be hearing from the villains for about two weeks, give or take. The lab was sinking, the monsters were history, which left only one loose end.  
  
Shego.  
  
Kim had to hand it to her, even if Shego couldn't get away with a crime, she could almost always get away.   
  
----  
  
Stealing, Shego decided, was a lot like sex.   
  
First, there was the thrill of the hunt. Stalking potential prey. Then, the clever infiltration through barriers and wards, whether they be laser alarms or the standard barfly insecurity and inferiority complex. Finally, the sweet glory that came from the a theft or seduction.  
  
She scowled.   
  
Actually, she liked sex better. Mostly because she was very rarely assailed by a cheerleader at the cusp of orgasm and thwarted. Every. Single. Time.  
  
On the other hand, Shego was very bad at sweet talking. These things do tend to even themselves out.  
  
So, Drakken was off to prison. Again. And Shego would break him out. Again. That was how these things worked for her. It certainly saved her the trouble of finding something to do while the idiot tried to find his own way out of jail.   
  
But did she really want to? All this losing... it was bad for her image. And self-esteem. And possibly her complexion.   
  
Shego was a very good thief. She deserved better.  
  
Well, at the very least, she needed her own lair. Having all her stuff destroyed every time Drakken failed was really starting to irk her.   
  
----  
  
"'Gee Mr. Henderson, I could've done the history report, but I was too busy saving the world.' That should totally be a valid excuse for me."  
  
"Mmm." Monique grunted, clearly not paying attention.  
  
"It's not like I tell Drakken when he should pester me with one of his lame world takeover attempts. 'I'm busy Thursday. How about Sunday afternoon? Oh, but not too late, it's a school night.'"  
  
"Mmm-hmm." Monique interjected, filing her nails.  
  
"It's not like I have all the time that everybody else does! But do I get extensions? Nooo. It's all 'You can save the world from mutant fish monsters and evil spinning tops of doom, but you can't throw together one history report?'"  
  
"Gotta hate those spinning tops. Gotcha."  
  
"You're not listening to a word I say, are you?"  
  
"Mmm."  
  
"KP!" The shout made both girls twitch as Ron barreled through the hallway. "Have you tried filling out any college applications yet? I don't understand half the stuff they want me to do."   
  
"I haven't." Kim admitted, shuffling her papers.  
  
Monique arched an eyebrow. "Girl, you really need to get on that. We're seniors! Even Ron's taking this seriously. And you know that if he's started and you haven't, something's wrong."  
  
Oblivious, Ron continued, "Look here, it says that I need to list my high school courses taken..."  
  
Ignoring him, Kim glared at Monique and rolled her eyes. "I know, I know! But it's so hard to find time! And I really don't even know if I should go to college."  
  
"But it only gives me twelve spaces! Twelve! I know I've taken way more than twelve classes!" Ron bit his lip as he intensely studied his University application.  
  
Monique's eyes widened. "Are you serious? You can't just not go to college!"  
  
"Why not?" Kim shot back. "I've pretty much got this cheerleading superhero thing down. All I really need to do is start charging."  
  
"But that's not gonna keep you set through your *whole* life! I mean, you can't really get much insurance or healthcare plans out of a crime fighting career. Or dental, come to think of it. Think about your future! You may need those teeth someday!"  
  
Kim sighed. "Look, I know, just forget I said it. I'm just really, really tired."  
  
Monique arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Drakken, Shego, mutants, sea lab, explosions." Kim elaborated.  
  
"Some things never change." Monique giggled, as she and Kim walked off to their next class.  
  
"So anyway, I was thinking that maybe I should just write down my important classes and leave out the stupid ones. What do you think Kim?" Ron paused in his studious scrawling. "Kim?"   
  
His voice echoed in the deserted hallway.  
  
"Aw, man." 


	2. Good Riddance

Chapter 2: Green Day, "Good Riddance"  
  
---------  
  
iAnother turning point, a fork stuck in the road  
  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go  
  
So make the best of this test and don't ask why  
  
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time  
  
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right  
  
I hope you had the time of your life./i  
  
---------  
  
It was with an almost heavy heart that Kim stalked to Bueno Nacho. Alone. Ron, apparently, was grounded for not telling his parents before he went out crime fighting.  
  
So freshmen year of them.  
  
Though, truth to be told, Kim liked the time alone. It seemed like she was getting less and less of that lately. And even though Ron was good company and a great friend, it was kinda hard for her to be all introspective and broody when he and Rufus were trying to spray cheese out their noses.   
  
Not paying attention to where she was going, Kim's stride to the counter was cut short by her body crashing into another. "Oh, sorry! So sorry." She said hastily, glancing up at the person she bumped into.  
  
Her eyes met a pair of poison green irises.  
  
"No harm done, Kimmy." Shego smirked, taking a ginger bite of her burrito and smirking snidely.  
  
Kim hissed, falling into a fighting stance. "Shego."  
  
"Duh."  
  
"What are you doing here? Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday?"  
  
Shego gave her a stony glare. "Kim, darling. I've been helping Dr. Drakken pester you for how many years? And have I ever learned my lesson?"  
  
Kim growled. "True. But that doesn't explain what you're doing here."  
  
Shego gave a growl to match. "Well, if you must know, I'm pretty broke. You know that nasty little habit you have of destroying every place I've ever lived within the last two years? Yeah, well, it pretty much sends any money I've been hording up in flames. As well as my refrigerator."  
  
Kim's stance gradually relaxed as Shego took another bite of her burrito. Her incredulous look remained, though. "So you decided to pop by Bueno Nacho for some munchies?"  
  
"Hey, even villains get hungry." Shego's nasty smirk returned. "Besides, if I unzip my top a bit and lean over the counter at just the right angle, the cashiers will usually give me a free Chimmerito combo."   
  
Kim's upper lip curled in distaste. "Wow, *that* qualified as way too much information."   
  
"Inquiring minds want to know," Shego artfully flopped into a booth. "Besides, I figured you'd want to know I didn't steal it."  
  
"Well, actually," Kim pointed out, "You kinda did."  
  
"I didn't. They," Shego gestured carelessly at the young men working the cash registers, "Were the ones stealing. They aren't supposed to give out free meals. It's not my fault if they do."  
  
Kim scowled. "You're logic is warped."  
  
"True."  
  
Kim pivoted to leave, then hesitated. "You know, I think this is the longest we've ever been civil to each other."  
  
"That's only if you consider interrogation civil." Shego pointed out.  
  
Kim snorted. "Compared to our usual encounters, this is practically sunshine and puppies."  
  
"Also true." This time, Shego hesitated. "Wait a minute. Sunshine and puppies?"  
  
"Give me a break, okay? It's been a long day."  
  
Shego tisked sympathetically. "Poor baby, did your house blow up too?" Off Kim's glare, she snickered. "Wanna talk about it?" Shego's eyes widened as she realized what she just offered. And her eyes practically bulged out of her head when she realized that the offer was somewhat genuine.  
  
Kim's eyes were undergoing a very similar process as her brain tried to wrap itself around the recent events. 'Okay, so, Shego. Eating, not stealing. Being semi-nice. Not trying to kill me.' Kim paused after that thought, before mentally going back to it and repeating it a few times. It still sounded odd.  
  
Strangely enough, (and possibly because of the shock), Shego didn't retract her offer. And Kim, after a few moments contemplation, sat down across from her.  
  
"I don't know what to do about college." Kim confided, staring at her hands.  
  
After a minute, Kim looked up straight into Shego's eyes, and they both burst out into incredulous laughter.   
  
They were arch-enemies. They didn't talk about each other's problems; they were each other's problems. Yet here they were. One afternoon in the middle of a Bueno Nacho, on the verge of being nice to each other.  
  
'Ah,' Kim thought, unable to keep the utter merriment off her face as she watched Shego wipe away tears of laughter. 'What tangled webs we weave.'   
  
Little did she know what this event would bring. Little did she know that this turning point would change everything. 


	3. Avalanche

Chapter Three: The Butthole Surfers, "Avalanche"  
  
---------------  
  
iSome will die in hot pursuit in fiery auto crashes  
  
Some will die in hot pursuit while sifting through my ashes  
  
Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain  
  
That is pouring like an avalanche  
  
Coming down the mountain./i  
  
---------------  
  
"Soo... college." Shego drawled out after her tears of laughter died down. "I didn't go."  
  
  
  
"Um, doesn't really surprise me." Kim countered.  
  
"Look, Kimmy, you're a straight-A-cheerleading-freak-fighting-teenage-hero."  
  
"Not superhero?" Kim interrupted, arching an eyebrow.  
  
Shego smirked and arched her own eyebrow. "Don't push your luck. Anyway, you can pretty much get into whatever college you want. And you've got your extracurricular in the bag. What's the big problem?"  
  
Heaving a sigh, Kim stared down at her hands and picked at her cracking nail polish. "I don't know if I even want to go."  
  
"I didn't go."  
  
"You already said that." Kim looked up and gave scanned Shego with interest.  
  
Shego watched Kim with amusement. "What? Did I spill something on myself, or does the famous Kim Possible have a thing for leather?"   
  
"So not. And wait, leather? I always thought it was vinyl."  
  
"Yeah, right. Vinyl doesn't breathe. With my high action lifestyle, you'd smell me coming a mile away." Shego grinned as Kim wrinkled her nose. "So spill. What's with the once-over? You haven't sized me up enough in all our ill-fated encounters?"  
  
"I never really *looked*." Kim explained, biting her lip. "You can't be that much older than me." It was partially a question, and Shego got the hint.  
  
"I'm 21."  
  
"Did you graduate high school?"  
  
"Nah, got a GED a couple years back, though."  
  
"Why'd you become a villain?"  
  
"What's with the third degree?" Shego shot back. Kim sighed.   
  
"It's not third-degree. I'm just... curious." She finished lamely.  
  
Shego gave Kim an intense look, one that left Kim squirming in her side of the booth. Apparently seeing sincerity, she nodded. "Maybe I'll tell you someday. Not now."  
  
Kim bit her lip, stamping down her curiosity for now. Shego was allowed to have her secrets, just like Kim had hers. Nodding, Kim finally replied, "I respect that."  
  
Shego looked genuinely impressed. Kim felt a brief surge of pride in apparently doing something right, then paused. Since when did it matter if she earned points with Shego?  
  
Shego, unaware of Kim's sudden internal conflict, stretched and yawned, pushing out her cleavage instinctively. Kim was immediately jerked out of her musings.  
  
'You *did not* just look at her chest!'  
  
Shego crowed with laughter. "You *so* just looked at my chest!"  
  
"Dammit!" Kim accidentally exclaimed, causing Shego to laugh even harder.   
  
"So maybe Kim Possible *does* have a thing for leather. Or at least, what's beneath it." Shego's smirk was both charming and irritating, and Kim fought the urge to let loose a scathing insult. Instead, she took a deep breath and sighed.  
  
"Shut up, Shego."   
  
Amazingly, she did, though her wicked smirk still remained. The silence lasted only a few minutes, though, before one of Shego's smart-ass remarks burst through. "Hey babe, don't ask don't tell, as far as I'm concerned."  
  
"Shut. Up."   
  
"I mean, I couldn't blame you for checking *this* out." Shego arched her back and threw out her chest again, while Kim tried to desperately look away.  
  
"You only wish!" Kim managed to stammer. This whole being flirted with by an arch foe thing was new to her.  
  
Shego licked her lips and gave a lecherous grin. "Any time, any place baby." She was about to expand on that proposition when a loud beeping went off. "Kimmunicator?" She enquired, feeling slightly irritated at the interruption.  
  
"Pager." Kim replied, taking out the little thing and staring at it intently, before sighing. "I have to go. Mom and Dad are going out for supper, and Jim and Tim need a sitter." Kim paused. This was the most fun she'd had for a long time. And Shego was actually pretty decent, when not being all evil and stuff.  
  
"Meet me here on Friday?" Kim blurted out.  
  
Shego blinked. "For sex?"  
  
"No!" Kim exclaimed. "Just to, you know, hang out?" 'Why did I even ask?' She lamented, cursing herself inwardly.  
  
Shego met Kim's eyes with a look that meant business. "Is this some kind of a setup? Are you just stringing me along for some shit reason?"  
  
"No, I'm not stringing you along. And it's not a setup."  
  
"Then why would you want to spend time with me?"  
  
Kim bit her lip. Why did she want to spend time with Shego? Why was she having such a good time here, being flirted with and teased by her arch-foe? It suddenly hit her, and was leaving her lips before she could analyze it.   
  
"Because I'm like you, and you're like me. Because you understand." Kim's eyes widened as she said it, and she slumped into the cherry colored seat. Shego was surveying her with amazement, before all of the sudden letting loose a bark of laughter.  
  
"Kim," Shego began, grabbing Kim's hand with her own. "Did it really take you this long to figure that out?" Releasing her palm delicately, she gave Kim a simple half-smile. "Meet me here at closing. Don't be late." And then she was gone, through the glass doors of the crappy fast food restaurant and out of Kim's life for now.  
  
'Shego,' Kim reflected, 'Is like an avalanche. Stunning, wicked, deadly, and utterly beautiful.'  
  
She blinked.  
  
'Okay, we're going home. We're going to go stare at the sexy males in the Middleton Mall Hardware catalogue, and we're definitely not going to think about Shego anymore tonight.' Kim told herself firmly, before heading home herself.  
  
Shego watched Kim leave from her perch on top of Bueno Nacho.   
  
Something about the little cheerleader had gotten under her skin. Shego blinked thoughtfully and pressed her fingertips to her cheeks.   
  
She couldn't remember the last time she smiled so much. 


End file.
